Maybe the cat is out of the bag after one sleazy PR campaign
was uncovered and publicized last week. That one was about a company
offering to pay journalists $100 for every "patient who sees the press
release in your newspaper and commits to our exclusive and effective
process."

But now freelance journalist Lisa Collier Cool has given me permission to share her story. She writes:

"I have received a truly appalling offer of a bribe of
$250 to attend an Allergan-sponsored media presentation on Botox,
Juvederm and Latisse, which...seems to me like a new low in trying to
buy media coverage of pharma products. The offer is below:"

Dear Lisa:

I work now with Allergan and we'd like to invite you
along with a select small group of reporters to participate in a Facial
Aesthetics Advisory Panel in New York City on Thursday, June 9, hosted
by Allergan, Inc., the makers of BOTOX® Cosmetic (onabotulinumtoxinA),
JUVEDERM® dermal fillers, and LATISSE® (bimatoprost ophthalmic
solution) 0.03%.

The goal of this Panel is to engage in a discussion about
current facial aesthetics trends and innovations, perceived gaps in
data, and any questions, concerns or misperceptions your readers may
have about products and treatments. Allergan will provide an overview
of the evolution of the facial aesthetics marketplace and then will
open the panel for discussion.

As a seasoned reporter in this space, we would greatly value
your feedback, and we'd like to offer you a stipend of $250 for your
attendance and insights.

We hope you will consider this opportunity and we will be in
touch soon. In the meantime, please let me know if you would like more
information.

Many readers may be shocked by this offer.

Journalist-readers probably won't be. When I asked on Twitter if
last week's publicized episode was the sleaziest anyone had heard of,
one journalist wrote, "Not even close."

We're at $250. Do I hear a bid for $500?.....

On the Forbes website, which picked up on my original blog post, Caroline Van Hove, an Allergan spokeswoman, responds:

To be clear,
this meeting is NOT a media pitch or an attempt to generate stories;
instead, similar to a consumer focus group, it is a chance for us to
obtain insights from those who cover the market. We have offered a
stipend for their participation in a three-hour meeting as a means to
compensate them for their time, nothing more. The posting below
mischaracterizes this focus group invite as a media bribe which
couldn’t be further from the truth. We have a longstanding, respectful
and open relationship with the media and would never intentionally
compromise journalistic integrity, nor our own.

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